Blood Ties
by Icecane
Summary: Eggman has begun his next venture into world conquest. A plan that has been in the making for years. Realizing that metal isn't always the way. He will learn just how to make bonds and how to shatter them.
1. Welcome back,

**A/N: Well hello everybody, I'm glad I can start getting my first Sonic fic underway. Really hope I can make this interesting for what I have planned. Though I am a bit worried on the overall success due to the category. Just because the sheer size of it, seems like something new pops up every other second, so I can only assume this will get buried fast. But I can always cross my fingers.**

_**Blood Ties**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: "Welcome back,"<strong>

The lab held an eerie silence. Other rooms in the base would be filled with the sounds of clanging metal, robots either working or being built. But this lab was different, the silence was needed, and wanted.

At one of the consoles sitting in the lab, stood a tall, round bellied man. His attire being of black pants and a red, buttoned up jacket. Small blue glasses hid his eyes from sight.

The man's face was fixed on the monitor in front of him. Reading the text that ran across its glass surface. As the data sped by, a large smile stretched across his face.

"Alpha3, I think he may be ready," he said, turning his gaze from the monitor to a robot standing beside him. The robot stood almost a foot taller then the man, having a white half-circle head with a single spike jetting from the top, a glass visor made for it's eyes. The rest of the robot's body was hidden under a black cloak, the material looked as though it was made from both metal and cloth.

"You may be correct Doctor," the robot responded, "but we should run the proper diagnostic tests first. Double check for any unknown variables. And run the simulator for possible-" The 'Doctor' held his hand up to interrupt the robot, his smile replaced by a look of irritation.

"Don't try and think you know whether he is fine or not, _I'm_ the genius here," he barked, shifting his eyes back to the screen, the old smile creeping back onto his lips. The Doctor then pressed a button at the side of the monitor.

From the far side of the room, the walls of the lab opened. A large cylindrical tank slid out of the new opening. Different machines and monitors dotted the top and bottom of the tank, each blinking trinket or flashing gizmo holding its own purpose.

The Doctor approached the tank, examining its contents with his own eyes. A green liquid filled the tank, different wires came down from the top that held onto a creature floating inside. Attached over it's mouth was a clear tube for oxygen.

A row of three buttons lined up under the biggest monitor. The Doctor pressed the first, the green liquid swirled and drained out of the tank, allowing the creature to hang freely. Pressing the next one caused the glass walls to rise up. After he pressed the third button, the wires all detached, causing the creature to fall flat on the cold floor.

Only a small time passed before the creature shot it's head up, gasping for air and giving a series of raspy coughs, each echoing through the vastness of the lab. The Doctor stood over him, his smile going unchanged.

"Welcome back," the Doctor greeted. The creature looked up at him, his eyes darting rapidly about the lab.

"B-back?" he mimicked, his voice sounding croaked and hard to form. The Doctor merely nodded.

"That's right, do you not know where you are?" The creature shook his head. "Hmm..." The Doctor pondered. "Do you remember anything at all?"

"N-no.." he answered, unable to think of anything, his mind drawing a complete blank.

"Hmm," the Doctor murmured again, running his fingers through his enormous mustache. "Well," he began, "some time ago, there was a terrible accident. And you, of course, were in it. I found you, an inch away from death. I was able to revive you here in my lab. And it seems to have damaged your memory..." The creature just gave him a blank stare, it was hard for the Doctor to tell if the information had registered. "But enough of the past for now," he made a small bowing motion, being limited by his portly stature, "I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik, genius inventor." The creature tried piecing together what he was being told, from the sound of it, this so called Doctor had saved his life.

"Well... thank you..." he said, having trouble talking with his scattered mind. The creature then picked himself up, immediately noticing his legs could hardly keep his weight. He stumbled forward slightly, much like an infant learning to walk, before quickly becoming accustomed to feeling the metallic floor beneath his feet.

"It's quite alright," the Doctor replied, showing a slight concern while watching the creature stand. "Now, I am sure you could use a good rest after just coming out of stasis." He motioned the robot toward them. "Alpha3, would you escort our guest to his room?"

"Yes Doctor," the robot replied. The machine then turned down one of the corridors leading out of the lab.

"Have a good rest," Robotnik called as the creature followed the robot, "we will talk more tomorrow." While a million questions were running through his head, the Doctor was right, his muscles ached from an impossible to understand exhaustion.

"So," the creature began, sparking a conversation with the robot as they walked down the hall, "your name is Alpha3?" The machine payed him little mind, not even shifting it's gaze toward him to answer his questions, keeping it's head forward.

"In shorten verse, yes. The title given to me on the day of my creation was KG-Alpha mark 3. I am the second revised form of the first robotic line of the KG units."

"Revised?" he asked, not fully understanding. Alpha3 didn't answer right away, the creature couldn't tell if the question annoyed the robot or not.

"Alpha1 was just an early draft, a precursor to better models. Alpha2 was an improvement but still lacking. Both only existed to point out benefits in structure and flaws in design. As is the reason for all prototypes. To be examined... then dismantled."

"And you? What happens when Alpha4 comes?" An odd sound came from the robot's artificial voice, coming close to a rhythmic crackle of static. To the creature, it sounded like a chuckle.

"Such a thing will not exist. I am the best there is, no problems exist within my programing or design. And no failures in what I do occur."

"What do you do?"

"Many things. My main objective is to act as guardian and primary adviser to Master Robotnik. On some occasions, I am tasked with dealing with certain... problems that occur." The creature wanted to ask more but could tell his questions would only be answered for so long. There was one thing he needed to know.

"Do... do you know who I am?" The robot stopped in its tracks momentarily, abruptly continuing its normal pace. Turning it's head toward to creature to see if he had noticed it or not.

"Of course," it finally said, "eraniaceus europaeus, or as you may know, a hedgehog." Hedgehog, though he wasn't sure he knew exactly what that implied, it sounded right to him. But it wasn't what he wanted.

"But _who_ am I," he pressed, his tone coming off as desperate.

"We do not know, you were found with no means of identification. The Doctor had hoped that when you awoke you could tell us, obviously that won't do." They both stopped at a metal door in the hallway. A mechanical hand appeared from within Alpha3's cloak and pressed a button on the side and the door slid open. The inside was a small room, a bed with a metallic frame being the only furniture.

"Though the accommodations may be sparse, you will find no better sleep then in this bed. Farewell for now... hedgehog." And with that, the robot disappeared, leaving the hedgehog alone.

The hedgehog entered the room. Besides the bed, the only other item that contrasted its emptiness was a full length mirror hanging on the wall. Through it, he was able to look at himself for the first time.

True to the robot's word, he was in fact a hedgehog. As far as he knew he appeared like any other. His fur was a dark blue color. A light brown was colored in for his fur-less flesh, consisting of his inner ears, muzzle, and a circular patch on his chest. Six quills curved from his head, much like they would a hedgehog, the main thing he noticed were the two quills furthest down, both being bent at the tip and going more outward. Another set of quills were on his back, shifting his stance allowed him to see them more clearly. One was in the center of his back while two smaller ones were at its sides.

Added with his dark blue fur, other portions of his body were black. All of his quills held a black line going across its top, all except for the topmost quill on his head. His ears and the tip of his tail also being blackened. An oddity with his fur were patches of jagged black that were around his wrists and ankles, slightly going up his forearms and legs.

White and gray chest fur covered his upper chest, the sides went on to his shoulders and curved around their side.

Something odd stood out among everything else. It wasn't his natural appearance, it was something he wore. Around his neck was a golden ring, looking like a simple metal band. The hedgehog tapped on it, he pulled it, even tried taking it off, but nothing happened. Unable to even feel it on him, but it felt so foreign to him. Though the ring worried him slightly, the hedgehog put it away with the many other questions he had for Dr. Robotnik.

After several minutes of looking himself over more, he sat atop the bed and laid down. Staring at the blank ceiling, the hedgehog tried piecing together his own mind. Fragmented thoughts that clouded his head, leaving nothing recognizable.

Though he tried remembering something, anything as to who he was or why he was there, nothing could be found. Not even a name for himself could be formed from the vacancy of his own inner monologues. Only a simple title was what he had. Hedgehog. A name for an animal, a name for himself.

The hedgehog had to of been more tired then he first thought. As his mind drifted towards his own existence, his eyes shifted downward. It took only a moment later for his breathing to soften to a steady pace.

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><p>A hedgehog ran across the open fields of endless grass. Breathtaking sights could be seen by him as the air blew through his quills.<p>

All around him the sights blurred as he ran faster and faster, his feet crunching the grass in an increasing pace. An undeniable sense of freedom was what the hedgehog felt, not tied down by anything. Nothing ever slowing him.

No clear destination was on his mind as he went further into the horizon. Everything and nothing were all in his sights at the same time. Such a peaceful state that he didn't want to give up.

But the blissful running didn't last. A fiery explosion erupted next to him, stopping his speed in an instant. All around him, more and more explosions fired upward, each more intense then the last.

One was close enough to him it threw him across the field and forced him against the ground. As his body began to ache, he looked up to see a robot's metallic face staring back at him, moving closer and closer as if to smother him. Then the fires grew and engulfed him.

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><p>The hedgehog lurched forward from his sleeping position. Sweat drenched his fur, his lungs cried for air as he took in rapid breaths, his chest pumping like a piston. His eyes looked about his surroundings, he was back in his empty room.<p>

It had just been a dream. But was that even possible. The idea caused him to question the implications of a dreaming amnesiac. Just something else he hoped the good doctor would have answers for. The hedgehog wiped away the moisture on his quills before he slouched back onto the bed.

Despite the heart racing vision he had just experienced, it didn't take long for the hedgehog to be taken away again.

What the hedgehog did not know however, was that a bed and mirror weren't the only things in his room. Something else was cleverly hidden at the top of the walls, something impossible for anyone to notice or see.

From a different room in the base, more monitors were placed against the wall. Standing before one was the rounded doctor and his robotic assistant. Their eyes were locked on the image of the sleeping hedgehog, the camera in his room showing them everything. A second monitor beside it showed readings of the hedgehog's sleeping status, due to machines implanted into the bed he now slept on.

"Did you see that Doctor?" Alpha3 questioned, even within his emotionless voice there was an unmistakeable distress. Robotnik didn't answer, his eyes unable to leave the screen. "He is experiencing the dreams faster then we have anticipated," the robot pressed, "this is a clear warning sign that something is wrong."

"I see nothing wrong with it," Robotnik replied, his voice showing no alarm to the situation, "it doesn't matter as long as he doesn't understand them. Too much time has been placed in this already to simply abandon it at every simple hiccup. His ignorance to who he is is all we need to make this work. And if it is proven that this will fail, then we can dispose of him easily, without alerting _him_ in the process."

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><p><strong>AN: All right then. First chapter has been seen and I hope it has caught some attention. **

**Something I thought up of a while back but have been too busy to post. Hopefully I can do it justice and keep reader interest going throughout. **

**So, I hope everyone has enjoyed this first chapter. Leave a review if you wish, encouragement is always helpful. And so is criticism, I know I'm not perfect and there is always room for improvement.**


	2. Expectations

**Chapter 2: Expectations**

A hands knock echoed against the metal door.

The hedgehog stirred from his sleep and saw the door to his room sliding open, Dr. Robotnik walking through.

"Good morning hedgehog," he greeted, showing a much cheerier mood then before, "I hope you had a good night sleep."

"Uh.. yeah," the hedgehog replied, his voice sounding much clearer and didn't scratch his throat.

"Good, good. Now, as I've said the other day, today we will discuss your situation and see how we can deal with it."

"That sounds wonderful Doctor," the hedgehog said happily, eagerly awaiting the moment he could get some questions answered.

"Well all right then. First things first, you are sure to be hungry from eating nothing after coming out of stasis, so I've had a meal prepared for us to discuss over." The hedgehog nodded his head in understand. Almost like a trick of the mind he felt a shake in his gut, hearing it again made him realize it was his stomach growling. "Oh yes one more thing, in preparation for your revival, I've had suitable garments made for you. I suppose now is the best time for you to try them on."

With a snap of his fingers, the door swung open again and an orange robot, about the hedgehog's own height, pulled in a moveable rack. Then with a salute to the Doctor, the robot ran out of the room.

"I'll be right outside waiting," the Doctor said, turning around and following the robot, the door shutting behind him.

Only a few moments had passed before the Doctor heard the sound of the door opening.

"Well that was qui-" he began to say, stopping as he looked at the hedgehog. Though it was a simple change, the hedgehog had put on the clothing given. A pair of gloves, colored in dark gray from the hands to the cuffs. And on his feet were a fine pair of combat boots, matching in color to his gloves with a metal cap over the toes for added protection.

"Is... that it?" Robotnik asked, a smile twitching onto his face, being quickly removed by another twitch.

"What?" The hedgehog seemed completely clueless. Then the Doctor pointed off toward the rack, the hedgehog noticed there was still more cloths hanging on it. "Oh," he said, genuinely surprised, "guess I'm not done." He then went back to the room and closed the door.

There were only two other pieces to the outfit. A shirt and pants that were both colored black. Dark gray designs added decoration on the plain black surface, with added holes cut into the back for his tail and quills. The shirt itself held additional markings in red on the chest of the shirt. Another design caught his eye quickly, in white on the upper right portion of the chest was an odd logo, a circle with a jagged design going vertically across the center and two bumps at the top. Studying it further made the hedgehog realize it resembled the Doctor, he figured it was a type of mark of pride that he used.

Putting on the clothing was a strange feeling to the hedgehog. It was how the garments were made, cloth itself was much thicker in the front, covering specific portions of his arms, legs and chest. The clothing felt as though it was more for protection rather then style, meant to resist forces taken and not falter. Even with the added bulk however, it didn't hinder him in the slightest, his movement and speed not being effected.

Looking at himself in the mirror, the hedgehog couldn't help but feel like he was overdoing it. The entire outfit felt more like a uniform, also feeling awkward for him in the shirt and pants. When he just wore the gloves and boots, a sense of completion and comfort caused him to ignore the rest as though he didn't even know of their existence. But Dr. Robotnik showed another view to it, wanting him to wear the rest, and the hedgehog didn't want to appear indecent.

Finishing his dress-up, the hedgehog left to meet the patiently waiting Doctor. He gestured the hedgehog down a different hall, they walked together but stayed in silence.

Not much time had passed before they entered a new room. A large table sat in the center with a rather bulky chair at its farthest side. On the other end of the room was an enormous monitor that took up most of the wall it clung to.

Robotnik sat down in the chair, his size fitting as perfectly as a puzzle piece, the hedgehog then noticed a second chair sitting beside it. This chair was in a completely different style from the rest of the room, looking worn out and out of place. The Doctor again made a gesture for the hedgehog to sit. As his weight was distributed onto the chair, there was a set of ear splitting creaks, making it feel as though it could shatter at any moment.

Hardly a moment after they had sat down, two more orange robots appeared, carrying a cart that held numerous plates of food. In a fraction of a second, the robots placed the plates in front of their master, appearing much like a scene that had been rehearsed to death.

While the hedgehog stared at the wide array of foods presented to the Doctor, he barely noticed the single plate placed in front of himself.

Looking down at it, the hedgehog's first reaction was surprise. Thinking his eyes were playing tricks, the item in question hardly looked like food at all. A pasty looking mush laid there, a spoon sticking out from the side like a proud flag.

Changing his gaze from his own meal, he noticed Robotnik already tasting one of his own dishes, even more surprising was that there was already a plate sitting off to the side, empty and as dry as a desert. It was no mystery as to how the man's girth came to be.

Again the hedgehog looked down at his own meal, hardly appealing to the eye and was odorless, ruling out the testing it with scent. Taking the spoon, he brought it to his mouth and stuck his tongue out, coming just close enough for the tip to touch into the mush.

"Is something wrong?" Robotnik asked, startling the hedgehog into dropping the spoon back onto the plate.

"Uh... no no, I'm just a little curious," the hedgehog replied, grabbing the spoon again and examining it.

"I apologize if the paste isn't as tasteful as you expect, I would give you something better but due to your time in stasis, your digestive system won't be able to handle heavy foods." The hedgehog thought about it, hardly able to understand but figured the Doctor knew more then he did. "Don't worry," Robotnik reassured, "it has all the nutritional value you could need, and it certainly tastes better then it looks."

The hedgehog took his word for it, taking a bigger scoop and tasting it. Surprise was his first reaction, it actually tasted good. A sweet taste that warmed his mouth as he swallowed it.

"So, hedgehog," Robotnik said after a few minutes of silence while they ate, "as I've promised, I will answer whatever questions I can, I'm sure you have some." A clear understatement if he had ever heard one, the hedgehog's mind was fit to burst with the questions he wanted to know. But even he understood that answers were going to be limited.

"Well," the hedgehog began, thinking carefully, "what do you know about me? Where I may come from, what happened to me?" Robotnik was silent at first, possibly figuring what to say.

"There isn't a lot I know. You were found unconscious, the area around you was badly scarred, I can only assume an accident of some kind caused it. Where you come from is also a mystery, the best idea I could have is the towns that are nearby, you could be from any one of them."

"I see..." the hedgehog muttered with a sigh, the disappointment weighing heavily on him.

"You have my deepest condolences," Robotnik said, sounding sincere. "But I'm sure your memory will heal in time, as the rest of your body has. Now, I have planned different exercises that should rehabilitate your body since your time in stasis has weakened you greatly."

The hedgehog showed his understanding. They then ate the rest of the meal before Robotnik guided them off to a different part of the base.

"Uh, Doctor," the hedgehog began as they passed through different hallways to reach their destination, "I have to know, why are you doing this? You don't know me, and yet you do so much." A slight chuckle escaped Robotnik before he answered.

"What kind of a man would I be if I didn't help the unfortunate. It has always been a passion of mine, to use my infinite genius to aide the world. But of course... there have been those who wish to impede me and my work."

"Who would do that?"

"They are a group that seem to want to harm the world, always attacking my creations for no reason. But it's simpler accomplishments, like saving you, that make my work all the more worth it."

The hedgehog found a great deal of respect for the man then. Doing so much for him, a complete stranger, even trying to help the world. He knew that the Doctor would do what was best for him.

They soon made it to their desired room. It was rather small, with the walls lined with small windows and a large dashboard sat in the corner. Even Alpha3 was waiting for them, not moving until Robotnik was within sight.

"Wait there please," Robotnik said, having the hedgehog stand in the center of the room.

"So, what are we doing here?" the hedgehog questioned, not seeing any real point to the room due to the lack of equipment.

"We are going to test your ability to maneuver in an aquatic environment," Robotnik replied, adjusting the console to the settings of his liking.

"Okay... what does that mean?" the hedgehog asked, hardly understanding a word of what he said.

"Just remember to kick your feet." The Doctor's lips parted into a smile as he pressed the largest button in front of him.

"What-" was all the hedgehog could say before the floor underneath him opened up, dropping him into the room below.

The hedgehog's screams filled the air as he plummeted the great height. In his panic he saw a vast amount of blue in his vision. Taking a moment for his eyes to adjust, he realized he was staring into a large pool.

As he crashed into the depths, a frightening realization came to him. He couldn't swim.

Thrashing about in the water, the hedgehog swung his arms and legs in all directions, accomplishing nothing but a series of bubbles and a growing weakness in his muscles. Only for a few moments did his mouth ever reach fresh air, then like a stone, he sank until his feet touched the bottom.

Pain shot into his chest as his lungs cried out for air. His conscious mind started to waver as his wild flailing slowed from exhaustion.

Then he saw something break the surface of the water above him, followed by a pinch on both sides of his bodies. Moments later he found himself being hoisted up out of the pool and pulled higher into the room where Robotnik and Alpha3 waited. A large pincer-like claw clutched at his sides, dangling him from the ceiling like a chandelier.

"Wha-what was that," the hedgehog cried out, between his fits of coughing up the water that filled his lungs.

"I had expected you to do much better," Robotnik said, though mostly to himself, scratching his chin as he ran unknown variables through his head. "Instinct should have kicked in with the sudden shock... Ah well, performance can only improve when done again."

"Again?" The hedgehog shouted, just as Robotnik pressed the button once again, dropping the screaming creature back into the blue abyss.

"I knew something was wrong," Alpha3 said, finally putting in his voice after hearing the resulting splash of the hedgehog's impact. "Not even able to swim, how can we expect anything greater?"

"Calm yourself," Robotnik replied, never a hint a worry showing from his understanding demeanor., "I knew it was a stretch to assume he could, after seeing his kind, how could it be expected. But there will be an advantage to accomplishing it that we can't avoid. Don't worry, he will learn. Just as you can teach a dog to sit, you can teach a hedgehog to swim."

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><p>Several tries later, Robotnik called for an end to the swimming 'lesson' and allowed the hedgehog back on dry land. Though he tried with all of his might to tread water, there was no tangible sign of improvement from his panicked flailing.<p>

After being given a few hours to rest, Robotnik called for a new test. The three traversed through the base and to the hedgehog's relief, he saw no sign of water in the next room.

There was a similar smaller room hiding away that held a large console, as well as monitors lining up across the ceiling. Looking out the windows, the hedgehog saw a large empty room. Though the space itself was the room's purpose. Across the floor was an oval shape that was easily spotted from the rest of the material.

"Here," Robotnik said, handing the hedgehog a small device with a strap around it, "attach it to your leg." The hedgehog did as he was told, a faint beep then came from the small machine and a red light flickered on. "This will be a test of your speed and stamina on land, I trust you can walk can't you?" The hedgehog could only look mildly embarrassed from the sarcasm, knowing he had done a horrible job with his swimming.

But Robotnik simply opened the door leading to the track.

Getting ready for the sprint, the hedgehog waited for the Doctor's signal. A buzzer sounded and the hedgehog took off, running as fast as his legs would take him. Through his speed, his vision blurred and his quills started flapping against the passing air.

The sensor attached to his leg began calculating his movement, showing his speed on the nearby monitor. Robotnik watched the hedgehog make his first lap with ease before turning to Alpha3, who was watching the monitor.

"And?" the Doctor called, wanting to hear just how fast the hedgehog was going.

"Nineteen miles," the robot answered, listening to the heavy sigh from the Doctor shortly after.

After a few laps, the hedgehog's legs were beginning to tire.

"Hedgehog," Robotnik's voice broke in over an intercom, "you may stop now." Hearing the words as a beautiful music, the hedgehog was gracious for a rest. Making his way back to the others, the hedgehog was eager to hear of his accomplishment.

"So... how... did I do?" he asked between breaths.

"Not very well," Robotnik responded with another sigh.

"What... but I..." the hedgehog tried saying, hardly able to believe it. To him it felt like he was doing extremely well. "Well, just how fast am I expected to go?"

"Much more so..." the Doctor's mind seemed distant, forming even more calculations in his enormous mind. "Why don't you try again, this time, push yourself." With a grunt of frustration, the hedgehog re-entered the track and began another stretch of laps. All throughout, there was little improvement.

Robotnik kept his gaze on the hedgehog, watching as expectations were never met.

"Once again, another failure," Alpha3 said, breaking into the Doctor's inner thoughts.

"Perhaps it isn't as genetic as we once thought..."

"Given your experience, it's clear it isn't a common trait amongst their kind."

"There is always a way around it," Robotnik murmured, pressing a series of buttons on the console that allowed an old blue-print to project onto the nearest monitor. "Though I never wanted machines to bring this plan into fruition."

"Too late for that Master, regarding what brought the creature back in the first place."

"Maybe so," the Doctor remarked, his eyes staring intently at the sprinting hedgehog, "but we will play it by ear for now. I have planned for this for far too long to become careless."

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, chapter 2 is done and up. Took a little time though that's mainly due to me working on this fic alongside a different one. **

**Hope everyone is enjoying it so far, more is soon to come.**


	3. Zero Chance

**Chapter 3: Zero Chance**

Day in and day out it was the same. The hedgehog awoke to a small meal and was then led off to the different training rooms. It made him wonder about the purpose for it, though Robotnik always reassured him that it was for the best.

His swimming had improved greatly over the past few days when compared to his first attempts. Having learned the proper motions for staying afloat while in the water. Even when submerged, he figured out the right strokes to move easily through the pool. After the terrifying experience of plummeting into the water had ended, the hedgehog found swimming to be quite an enjoyable experience.

But the same couldn't be said for his running. While he wasn't getting any worse, he was most certainly not getting better. Even as the hedgehog pushed himself to the breaking point, his legs throbbing from over-exertion, the Doctor still shook his head in disappointment.

The most recent change was when he was sent to a different training room.

Built much like the one he used for sprinting, the only difference was the track being replaced with a shallow pit, forming a full circle in the very center. Having been told to enter it, the hedgehog waited for his next command. He didn't have to wait long however when a pair of doors on the far side of the room opened. Someone stepped out and into the pit with him, as it got closer the hedgehog was shocked as he saw what it was, another hedgehog.

About the voice his alarm, Robotnik spoke up first.

"Do not worry, though it may look real, it is just one of more machines." The hedgehog was even more shocked to be told such a thing. The so called robot looked so life like and real. On further examination however, he saw a flaw that eliminated the ruse outright, no mouth was present on it's tanned muzzle.

The robot was black with red and white shoes and gloves, with a large patch of white on it's chest. Something felt odd to the hedgehog though, something off about the robot standing in front of him. But he pushed it aside as the robotic hedgehog just stared at him, awaiting orders from its master.

The Doctor then announced what they were doing, combat. It surprised the hedgehog completely as he heard it, how learning how to fight would help him was beyond his own understanding. But despite the uncertainty, the hedgehog held his trust with the Doctor.

When Robotnik ordered them to begin, the hedgehog was ill prepared for it. His robotic adversary was upon him in a second, throwing a series of punches and kicks that he had no hope of avoiding.

Already being thrown to the ground, Robotnik called the robot off of the hedgehog for him to get up. After a lecture in using his reflexes, the Doctor started it again. This time the hedgehog was ready and managed to dodge the attacks. The last punch he even blocked, though he was quick to regret it. Having not expected the robot's strength, his arm was already sore from that simple blow.

But after a while he made enough improvement to dodge the more simple attacks, even managing a few of his own, though they hardly phased the machine.

After that, the combat training became apart of his usual routine, though no matter how hard he tried, he never got any positive reaction from Robotnik. There were just some expectations that he couldn't meet, but he had no idea why.

Training wasn't what he did all day however, while his body would begin to ache and slow from exhaustion, Robotnik would finally call him off for the rest of the day to do as he pleased. But that implied very little as the hedgehog soon learned that there wasn't much to be done within the base.

Many of the rooms were locked, the ones that he could enter had nothing the hedgehog found interesting, consisting mostly of robot assembly lines where they were pieced together.

One thing he noticed was just how lonely the base was. The only other inhabitants he ever saw where Robotnik's robots, but they acted strangely toward him. Whenever he would encounter them, he was given a wide berth, the robots either ignoring him or disappearing into another room. Alpha3 was nowhere to be seen unless it was time for training. The Doctor was just as distant, always saying he was too busy for idle conversation. It took a toll on the confused hedgehog who simply wanted someone to talk to, someone to understand.

There was a small sliver of peace to be had in the base. Almost on the other side of the base there was a dead end to one of the many hallways. It ended with a very large set of windows making up the wall, giving the most gorgeous view the hedgehog had ever seen.

A seemingly endless ocean of trees that spanned out until it met the sun and sky. Looking below it showed a rocky slope of a cliff, showing the hedgehog that the base was set atop a mountain. Just standing there and gazing out into the scenery brought a great deal of peace to his mind. Though that peace did nothing to quell the nightmares.

Almost every night there was one. All feeling so real to him, each time he would wake up in a shivering, sweaty state. Headaches coming soon after, his head pounding to the point the hedgehog couldn't move. But it all eventually passed, leaving an annoyed and frustrated hedgehog to go back to sleep.

Just as the routine was being set once again, it was disrupted by a new task.

Robotnik led the hedgehog to another new room, but it wasn't one for training. It was filled with different machines, consoles, and monitors. One small section of the room had a chair set up with different cables hooked at its base.

"Remove your garments please," Robotnik asked. The hedgehog complied, removing the heavy clothing and feeling gracious for it. Despite having worn the outfit so often, he still hated wearing it at all, never growing used to it.

The Doctor then gestured for the hedgehog to sit and as he did a metal device with wires running down it was stuck to his forehead.

"Uh... what is this," the hedgehog asked rather nervously. More wires were being attached to his wrists and chest, each trailing off and being hooked to a large console closest to them.

"Well," Robotnik started, pressing a series of buttons on the monitor as he answered, "I have devised a way to try and help you in your training. We will use this machine to boost your strength, speed, and give you other abilities as well."

"What?" The hedgehog had no idea what to think of the answer, not understanding the science behind any of it.

"Don't worry," the Doctor reassured him, "no harm should come to you. And based on the data I've run, there is zero chance of this failing."

"Okay..." Still sounding nervous, the hedgehog kept telling himself to trust the Doctor.

"Alright then,"you will just need to stay calm and brace yourself." Without another word, Robotnik pressed bright red button on the console and the machine started.

The wires attached to the hedgehog began to glow, making his skin tingle all around his body. Every second that passed increased the sensation as a loud humming came from the console.

Robotnik nodded his head as everything was going as it should. After another minute, he held out a large crystal. The hedgehog was amazed at how beautiful it looked, a flawless yellow gem that was as big as his hand.

"Now time for it to really start," the Doctor said with a laugh. A hole in the console opened up, just the right size for the crystal. Without hesitation, Robotnik inserted it into the slot.

Instantly the machine hummed louder and the wires lit up even more. The hedgehog felt it too, the surge of energy into his body was immense. It caused him to start shaking uncontrollably as the energy kept building and building.

Sharp tremors of pain began to burn into his arms as the machine kept going. Groans escaped him as he tried fighting against it, only bringing more to come.

Even the pain was building along with the energy within him. The lights inside the lab were flickering on and off as the machine kept getting louder and louder. A few even blew out, creating a small explosion of lights and spark that made the hedgehog jump in his seat.

"Please," the hedgehog begged, "stop this, I can't take it anymore!"

"No no," Robotnik urged, "you can take it. It'll be worth it!" The hedgehog still had no idea what they were doing, his mind becoming too clouded from the experience.

But a sense of fear gripped him as he looked down at himself.

With each new surge of energy, he could see his dark blue fur changing. A bright yellow was replacing it, shining as bright as any light. Then his quills started to hurt, feeling as though an invisible hand was grabbing hold and yanking upwards as hard as it could.

It felt as though the entire lab was shaking, the rattling of the different scientific instruments filled the air. High pitched shrieks wailed out of the machine as it continued its purpose. The monitors above it began to flicker and the data became distorted, many of them started to crack and shower sparks in all directions.

"Oh no," Robotnik shouted, frantically pressing buttons. Then most horrific sound broke from the machine, like nails on a chalkboard but amplified a thousand times. It split into the hedgehog's head with such a powerful force, blurring his vision as tears formed in his eyes. His cries of pain were drowned out as the machine connected to him caught fire and exploded on the spot, engulfing the lab in a bright flash.

The hedgehog was thrown from the chair and slammed into the lab wall. As he slumped down to the floor, he weakly looked out to the lab.

Little was left of the machine, only a few wires and flaming shards of metal. Sparks continued to rain down from whatever devices that still had power. Laying in front of the hedgehog was the yellow crystal used on the machine, it still glowed with a powerful aura. Without thinking, the hedgehog reached for it, just trying to touch it's glassy surface.

His fingers were just about to grab it when his weakness overtook him and the hedgehog passed out.

* * *

><p>The hedgehog awoke to find himself in his room. With a heavy groan, he lifted himself from his covers, his head feeling as though it was smashed open on a rock.<p>

Realizing what had happened, he panicked and searched his body. There were no signs of the yellowing on his body, and after feeling his quells, he appeared no different then before. There was a sigh of relief and the hedgehog collapsed back onto his bed. But the comfort didn't last long as the door to his room opened, Robotnik stepped inside with a stern look on his face.

"Are you all right," he asked without a hint of concern in his voice.

"Uh... yeah... I'm fine, I suppose." The hedgehog felt nervous, thinking that something was wrong.

"Good... I am regretful to say our last... effort to help you failed horribly. I do not know why, all data showed that it should have worked, but it didn't and that must be looked in to. So, if you would, please dress yourself and follow me."

The hedgehog noticed his clothes on the floor near the bed. Without another word, he put on the uncomfortable garments and followed the Doctor. A pit in his stomach churned about in circles with each step they took. The hedgehog felt nauseous and wanted nothing more then to curl up in bed for as long as he could.

They eventually made it to their desired room. It was another lab, much like the one they were previously in. Much like the last one, a chair sat in the center with more cables attached to it.

"Uh," the hedgehog groaned nervously, stepping back from the chair as he remembered what had happened before.

"No need to worry this time," Robotnik said, forcing a small amount of emotion in his otherwise bland voice. "This will merely run a neural statistics simulation based on your current abilities, a simple scan if you will." The hedgehog wasn't convinced by it, but on further thought, he wondered if he really had a choice in the matter.

So the hedgehog sat down once again. Different devices were stuck to him this time around. A metal band was attached to his forehead, a glass visor came down and over his eyes. Over his wrist, a clamp with a needle and clear tube was tightened on, the hedgehog's heart began to race at the sight but he controlled it and stayed calm.

"Computer," Robotnik commanded, an enormous monitor that reached from the floor to the ceiling turned on at the Doctor's voice. "Start up simulation 4.23." A window popped up on the screen and a loading bar began to fill up. A small hum came from the device on the hedgehog's neck, making his muscles tense.

The bar filled and more windows with different streams of data appeared.

"Run data collection sequence 1 and 2." The visor over the hedgehog's eyes began to glow red, a beam of its light shot off and moved over each of his pupils, stinging horribly. Then the device on his wrist began to turn on, the needle lowered and stuck into his flesh. A moment later and a stream of red fluid flowed from the needle and through the tube, following off and into the machine. Robotnik watched as the data on the screen shifted and changed.

"Good... good. Bring up video feed of file ES." The computer then showed clips of the hedgehog, vidoes of him while training in the pool, track, and ring. "Reference with videos from files S, SH, T, R, and K. Run all data through simulation and process all possible outcomes and chances of success."

"**Processing...**" The computer responded, showing more loading bars that slowly filled. "**Established abilities lack in necessary fields. Losses imminent. Calculating percentage of success in possible situations... percentage of success... zero.**" A large 0 appeared on the screen, reflecting off of the Doctor's glasses as he looked up at it.

"No," Robotnik shouted as he pounded his fists against the console.

"D-doctor," the hedgehog began, becoming worried as he removed himself from the seat, "what's wrong?"

"All this planning... all this work... just another failure... like any other..." Robotnik then turned to the hedgehog, a fierce look of anger twisting in his face. "Security! Destroy this creature now, leave nothing left!"

"What?" The hedgehog tried saying as the room became filled with different weapons coming out of the walls, all taking aim at him. Before he knew it, the hedgehog was running out of the room for his life, Robotnik's voice shouting out behind him.

"Get that... that... zero!"

Explosives and bullets flew at the hedgehog from all directions as he kept running. His mind was too confused and scared to work properly as he just kept running. More and more security systems activated as he ran through the base, continuously firing at him.

Then the hedgehog's heart sank as he came to a dead end. The wall of windows blocked his path and trapped him. More security was already activated and preparing to fire.

From his panicked state, the hedgehog didn't know what to do. He watched in fear as the machines fired at him, creating a massive explosion that destroyed the entire room.

* * *

><p>"Vitals have dropped and all probes have reported in," Alpha3 said to Robotnik as he looked over the monitors in front of him, "he is confirmed dead."<p>

"Good," the Doctor said with a sigh, "send the repair bots to fix destroyed rooms."

"My apologies Doctor," Alpha3 tried saying, knowing how much was put into the project.

"Don't bother," he responded angrily, "it's done and he is dead, nothing more to do about it."

But Robotnik was wrong, the explosion didn't kill the hedgehog. The tremendous force, launched him through the windows and sent him hurtling down the mountain. After finally landing on the soft, grassy ground, he managed to pick himself up and limp away.

Through the forests, the hedgehog slowly made his way through the nonexistent path of trees. Pain shot through every part of his body he could still fell. His arm was useless, hanging limply at his side, his leg being just as battered, being dragged across the ground as he used his only working foot.

Blood from his wounded forehead dripped down and blurred his vision. Each breath shot more pain into his body as each one become more difficult to preform then the last.

A large tree root then blocked his footing, tripping the hedgehog and forcing him to the ground. Too weak to pick himself up, he was reduced to crawling across the floor. His one good arm was his only means of movement, digging his fingers into the soul and pulling to drag the rest of himself along.

But it didn't last very long. With his entire body in pain and no means of moving, the hedgehog rolled over on his back and accepted it.

"_What kind of existence is this_," he thought to himself as his mind started to fade in and out of consciousness, "_to be given a second chance at life, only to die not knowing who you are._"

As the darkness of death began to envelop him, a strange sound was heard. Like a large fan spining high above him in the skies. The hedgehog didn't have time to dwell on it however as blackness overcame him and all went silent.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well there, Chapter 3 is done. Took a while for me to work on it, combination of a few things kept me from it. But it's finally done so that's good.  
><strong>

**So hopefully I can get the rest done quicker then this, I'll certainly try my best.**


End file.
